1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a processing station and method for the semi-automatic acquisition of photographs and descriptive data for automobiles and other vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, vehicle databases typically incorporate information from a variety of sources including one or more photograph and specific information such as price, year, make, model, sub-model or ‘series’ (like 2001 Ford F-150 XL Lariat), engine, transmission, color, number of doors, features, equipment options, and accessories related to the vehicle.
The photographs are typically provided as a contract service where a contractor visits the car dealer and takes one or more pictures of the vehicles which are new to the dealer's lot within a given period of time. Typically, a contractor such as Dealer Specialties International or VIN Systems will also obtain each vehicle's VIN number (Vehicle Identification Number) and record the vehicle's visible characteristics and options. The contractor will then process the VIN information offsite and upload information to one or more databases such as that which may be found at getauto.com and other web sites. The contractor will then typically return to the dealer's lot with a window sticker for the vehicle. This service has evolved over the years from a window sticker service in an attempt to meet the demands for electronic availability of information. The most common use of vehicle information is to update Internet or shared databases where a buyer can, for instance, determine which automobiles are available through particular dealers. The information may also be re-entered into a dealer's internal database or software. Internal databases and software are typically used to support sales and accounting functions within a dealership.
The current data acquisition cycle usually takes several days, often 7-14 days, to complete, so the dealer may have incomplete information for that period of time, or the dealer may be limited in its ability to sell the vehicle online while the information is being processed. Objectives of the current invention include cutting the costs for acquiring vehicle information, and making that information available immediately available to the dealer and his sales network upon the dealer's receipt of a vehicle.
A further objective of the current invention is to facilitate the gathering of the information in a manner that is consistent with existing business operations.
With the current invention, a dealer or a single contractor can obtain, in a short period of time, information which currently originates from several sources. Another advantage of the current invention is to improve the quality and consistency of digital images used in the databases. A further advantage is to automatically load complete vehicle data into the dealer's back-office sales and accounting system.
In addition to the current data acquisition service procedures, the prior art includes specialized vehicle identification devices such as large transparent bar codes and radio frequency transmitters; and it includes networks of computers or specialized software to assist in a vehicle valuation, damage inspection, vehicle sales, etc. There is a need for an apparatus and method to support a more efficient gathering and consolidation of vehicle images and data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,776 issued Nov. 2, 1999 to Seretti, et al, describes a vehicular data exchange system to permit auctioning and rapid determination of a sales price for a used vehicle. The Seretti patent claims multiple computer terminals, a processor, and an alarm device to alert an operator of responses to inquiries about a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,0649 issued Jun. 13, 2000 to Rose, describes a centralized system for tracking titles to motor vehicles and other property. An object of the present invention is to efficiently provide the information needed for electronic applications such as that described in the Seretti and Rose patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,389 issued Nov. 13, 1990 to Danforth, describes a stationary bar code reader mounted at a height that permits it to read a large bar code pattern on a vehicle windshield as a moving vehicle passes the reader. The bar code is preferably provided in the front windshield in a manner that is invisible to the human eye. An object of the present invention is to capture data and photographs of vehicles without requiring additional identification devices to be associated with the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,631 issued Apr. 18, 2000 to Busch, et al. Describes an expert-system based vehicle damage inspection system which includes receiving vehicle data. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which allows the automation or semi-automation of the data acquisition process in order to provide lower cost, improved delivery time for information, and improved quality of information with respect to the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,770 issued Aug. 8, 1989 to Mauchan, et al. Describes a special camera for reading VIN numbers. An object of the current invention is to provide an economical system which can be assembled from widely-available components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,065 issued Apr. 18, 2000 to Glover describes a VIN reading and transmitting system for providing a device for automatically detecting a vehicle identification number through radio frequency devices and transmitting the number to a dispatch station for immediate identification of the vehicle and owner. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle information gathering capability that is compatible with various vehicle identification techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,310 issued Mar. 21, 2000 to Green, et al. describes an automobile sales kiosk that provides automobile data and images to customers. An object of the present invention is to enable an efficient gathering of vehicle information so that the information may be used to support all sales efforts.